Reversible ratchet wrench



Feb. 28, 1961 A. R. STALKUP I 9 REVERSIBLE RATCHET WRENCH Filed March 3, 1959 Hlfred R. Sfalkup INVEN TOR.

United States Patent REVERSIBLE RATCHET WRENCH Alfred R. Stalkup, Box 783, Roseburg, Oreg.

Filed Mar. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 796,862

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-63) This invention relates to ratchet wrenches.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a ratchet wrench which may be operated effectively as either a pull or press type tool in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ratchet wrench which may be employed with great force in locations of restricted access without becoming misaligned with the work and without slipping.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ratchet wrench of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the head of the presently described ratchet wrench; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the ratchet wrench head taken along line 33 of Fig. 2.

The head of my ratchet wrench includes a hub formed with a rectangular section 12 designed, for example, for attachment to conventional socket wrenches. An annular ratchet 14 is fixed radially to the hub.

A casing 16 is journaled about the hub, housing the ratchet and including a pair of short, spaced, substantially parallel lugs or lever arms 18. A pawl assembly 20 engages ratchet 14. It is pivoted about pin 22 and is operated by means of a finger 24. Depending upon the adjustment of the latter, the pawl may be used to operate hub 19 and wrench member 12 in either clockwise or counterclockwise directions, being retained in one position or the other by spring 25, one end of which is connected to the pawl assembly and the other to a pin 26 mounted between lugs 18.

A bifurcated handle 30 is also journaled about hub 10. The outer ends of the bifurcated handle preferably are interconnected as indicated in Fig. 1 for the purpose of imparting rigidity to the wrench.

A lever arm 32, which is somewhat shorter than handle 30, is pivotally mounted between the bifurcations of the handle by means of pin 34. At its inner end, this arm is pivoted between the outer ends of lugs 18 by means of pin 36 working in slot 38.

When using the wrench of my invention, the pawl first is set for the desired direction of rotation. Then if access to the work is restricted, lever 32 is placed in either the full or dotted line position of Fig. 1 and worked relative to handle 30 to turn the wrench by small increments.

However, if the access is not restricted, lever 32 may be placed in alignment with handle 30 and worked as a unit with it. In this manner the wrench may be applied in either direction with great force and without slipping.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be rmorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet head formed of a pair of relatively movable sections, a pair of spaced, parallel lugs rigid with one of the sections of the head and extending outwardly therefrom, a bifurcated handle journaled about the other section of the head outside of the lugs, a lever arm, pivot means pivotally connecting the inner end of the lever arm between the outer ends of the lugs, and pivot means pivotally connecting the lever arm to the handle intermediate its ends, the lever arm accordingly being angularly movable between the bifurcated portions of the handle from one side to the other thereof.

2. A ratchet wrench comprising a hub terminating in a wrench member, an annular ratchet integral with the hub, a casing including a pair of spaced, parallel, radiallyextending lugs journaled about the hub, pawl means mounted on the lugs for engagement with the ratchet, a bifurcated handle journaled about the hub outside the lugs, a lever arm, pivot means pivotally connecting the inner end of the lever arm between the lugs, and pivot means pivotally mounting the lever arm intermediate its ends between the bifurcated portions of the handle, the lever arm accordingly being angularly shiftable between the bifurcated portions from one side to the other thereof.

3. A ratchet wrench comprising a ratchet head, a casing journaled on the head, a first lever arm rigid with the casing and extending outwardly therefrom, a handle journaled on the head, and a second lever arm pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the handle and pivotally connected at one of its ends to the outer end of the first lever arm to increase leverage forces applied to the head upon relative pivotal movement of the handle and the second lever arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 119,317 Chandler Sept. 26, 1871 731,260 Worden June 16, 1903 858,030 Schad June 25, 1907 1,970,721 Walton Aug. 21, 1934 2,537,175 Viets Jan. 9, 1951 2,542,015 Ellison Feb. 20, 1951 2,633,044 Pasquariello Mar. 31, 1953 2,704,475 Shurnan Mar. 22, 1955 

